Improvement in tessellated floors



S. P. GROOCOCK. TESSELLATED FLOOR,

, 173,141. Patented ma 30,1876.

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ATTUBNEYS.

N. PETERS, FHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON a c UNITED STATES ,PATENTOFFIcE.

SAMUEL P. cnoooocK, on new YORK, N. ;Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN TESSELLATED FLOORS. j

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 178,141, dated May 30,1876 application filed April 21, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL P. GRoocooK, of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Marquetry andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same.

The species of Ornamental flooring produced by the a t of 'marquetry,and long in vogue in Europe, has begun to be adopted in the constructionand repair of the better class of dwellings in the larger cities of thiscountry.

In order to give the tessellated flooring the desired firmness,solidity, and permanency, and at the same avoid the use of thick blocksor pieces, which would greatly increase its cost, it has been thepractice to connect the blocks' 'or pieces by tongue and'groove, and tolay them upon a foundation composed of numerous wooden strips ortimbers, or, more commonly, ot' a plastic cementitious material.

The various imperfections or objectionable features of these and similarmodes of laying marquetry-floors have led to the development of myprcsentinvention, which consists in forming composite flooring pieces orsections of a number of wooden blocks, of the desired and requisitesizes, shapes, and colors, and 'a backin gof asphalt, the two partsbeing firmly united by a dovetail or equivalent connection, ashereinafter described.

A flooring-piece so made up is handled, transported, and laid in muchthe same manner as tiles are, so that the labor, time, and expenseordinarily incident to laying marquetry-floors are considerablylessened.

In the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan view of the'flooring-piece; Fig. 2, a cross-section. Fig. 3shows a modification of the means of connecting the face and backing.

A indicates the flooring piece or section, composed of blocks of varioussizes, forms, and colors. In constructing the same I first cut out theseveral blocks, 12, in the ordinary manner, but in place of providingthem With the ordinary tongue and groove, which considerably increasesthe cost of the flooring, I

I simply glue the sides of the pieces A together,

and then, by aid of suitable machinery, I cut one or more dovetailgrooves across the entire composite piece or section A at one operation.The requisite quantity of asphalt, heated sufficiently to impart a gooddegree of plasticity, is then poured over the back of piece A, andallowed to cool, when it will closely adhere and assume the hardness andrigidity necessary to form a firm backing or support for the blocks 1),and bind them together in one solid piece. In such cas'e'the asphaltenters the dovetail grooves cut in the flooring-piece A, thus formingtongues a.

In some instances I cut a plain or squareangled groove in place of adovetail. As a modification of this mode of connection I may insertdouble dovetail wooden strips 0 in the several grooves of the section A,in which case that portion of the strip projecting from the back will befirmly embedded in the asphalt.

Another mode of connection is to dispense with grooving the back of thepiece A, and attach a Wooden dovetail strip, (1, to the same by means ofscrews, the strip being embedded in the asphalt, as in the other case.

To form the tessellated or marquetry flooring the pieces or sections A,composed of the wooden blocks and asphalt backing, are laid upon aplastic bed of cementitious material.

This operation may be efi'ected with accuracy, ease, and dispatch, andhas all the qualities held desirable in this class of ornamental floors,among which are great solidity, firmness, and durability, capacity toresist attacks of wood-borers and rodents, to prevent I unhealthyexhalations from the earth permeating the apartment from below; also,very slight capacity of the flooring to absorb moisture and absence ofswellin g, Warping, or shrin king of the same.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- SAML. P. GROOOOGK.Witnesses:

SoLoN O. KEMON, GHAs. A. PETTIT.

